Before the First Day

CONGRATULATIONS!

You've been accepted to the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii. Now, find out what you can about the law library before you show up for orientation and classes. Start with the Guide to the Law Library or the Law Library website. Some of the more important items are listed on this page. But there's much, much more to explore. The Guide to the Law Library also includes information on UH fitness facilities and recreation programs.

Maps

Two maps of the law library are available: the stack map and the reference area map. There are two main aisles in the stack area. The one on the right passes by the computer lab, the restrooms, and the legal research classrooms. The one on the left takes you past the study carrels. A center aisle is accessible within the stacks.

A range is a numbered set of shelves. You find the number on the end of the shelf stack.

A set of Hawaii laws (currently in force) is available in the reference area.

A reserve collection is located behind the Circulation Desk. Ask for materials from this collection at the Desk. Here you will find materials your professor placed on reserve for you and other, highly used, materials.

Take some time to explore the online catalog. There's an entire page devoted to learning how to use it.

Major Collections

American Law Reports (A.L.R.) - locate it on the reference area map

American Jurisprudence 2d (Am Jur 2d) - locate it on the reference area map

Corpus Juris Secundum (CJS) - locate it on the reference area map

Digests - locate these on the reference area map

A digest is a finding aid for cases. They are keyed to specific reporters. E.g. to find cases in the Pacific Reporter, look in the Pacific Digest. They are arranged by topic and key number.More...

Federal Reporters - locate it on the stack map

A reporter is a hardbound collection of opinions by courts (cases) or administrative agencies. They are arranged chronologically.

A statute is a law enacted by a legislature. Statutory compilations are codified (topically arranged). Sometimes called Codes.

Journals/Periodicals - law journals and periodicals are classified and shelved in the general collection (stacks).

Regional Reporters- locate these on the stack map

Restatements - locate these on the reference area map

Restatements are textual distillations of case law written by legal scholars. More...

State Statutes- locate these on the stack map

Treatises - classified and shelved in the general collection (stacks).

A treatise is a book about the law written by a legal scholar. More...

Virtual Collection

Legal research materials are increasingly made available online. After you begin classes you will receive passwords to access Westlaw and LexisNexis. Other materials are available remotely via a proxy server. You will need UH (hawaii.edu) login credentials to access them, but after you have a UH login you can explore the wealth of materials available to you.

Exams

Previous exams are available online. You will need UH (hawaii.edu) login credentials to access this archive.